A COVID-19 American Craft Beer Week

American Craft Beer Week (May 11-17) is the annual nationwide celebration of small and independent U.S. craft breweries. Join the celebration and support independent brewery businesses by giving the gift of craft beer through delivery of beer, beer-to-go, gift cards or merchandise, CraftBeer.com


In more joyous times, American Craft Beer Week would entail various celebrations at beer bars, restaurants, and breweries with consumers able to sample a wide array of craft-brewed beer. That was before COVID-19 and the nationwide shutdown that has disabled, not only craft breweries, but also the restaurants and retail outlets which were once strong outlets of the craft beer supply chain.

The Brewers Association (BA) is the membership organization dedicated to promoting and protecting small and independent craft brewers in the United States. The BA defines a craft brewer as small, traditional, and independent -- features which make these establishments particularly vulnerable during this pandemic. Many of these small brewers rely completely on tasting room sales and do not have the distribution arrangements for a wider audience. They are also independent and not partly or wholly owned by large conglomerates that have the cash reserve or financial ties to weather the crisis.

In normal economic times, there is creative destruction within the industry where a certain number of breweries will open and a smaller number closing their doors. However, with challenging profit margins, even in the best of times, many of our favorite breweries may not survive without our focused assistance. CraftBeer.com has published a Nationwide List of To-Go Beer Options by Breweries and for this week (and beyond) are asking consumers for their support. If you are ill or an at-risk individual, you should avoid going out, but consider purchasing a gift card or searching for local breweries providing delivery services. If you are healthy, take advantage of curbside beer service.  With our help craft breweries will ride this, and any future, COVID-19 storms.

Follow: #GiveCraftBeer and #SeekTheSeal



Update:

Craft Beer Week: Corcoran Brewing Beer Dinner at Magnolias

Quick Question. Why do we like best the festivals that serve both beer and wine? Obvious, right? More choices for everyone. Well now our friends at Corcorcan Vineyards, Waterford Virginia, have brought that concept to their winery by opening Corcoran Brewing. Want to taste wine, turn right; taste beer, turn left. It's that easy. Now the new operation is a true nano brewery; that means its small, very small. They brew just once a week in an old barn next to the winery. Yet for such a small operation they are crafting a large selection of beers. Six beers in total - supplying beers from the entire rainbow of styles: Wheat, American Ale, English Ale, Irish Red, IPA, & Stout. Proprietor Jim Corcoran hopes to eventually have an all Virginia range of beers using Virginia grown barley and hops from their farm. Commendable since he has to ship the Virginia grown barley to a facility in the Midwest to have it processed into malt, then re-shipped back to the brewery. Brewer Kevin Bills has been home brewing for over a decade. Now's his chance to brew professionally.

Now the brewery is not officially open since their inventory is understandably in low supply. Yet on May 19th at 7:00 pm, smack in the middle of Craft Beer Week (May 16-22, 2011), they are providing an opportunity to sample these beers paired with the excellent culinary dishes from Magnolia's of the Mill in Purcellville Virginia. Five courses of food paired with the Corcoran Brewing beers for $80 - all inclusive.

Have You Declared Your Independence?

No, not from England and watching the Royal Wedding?

We are talking about Craft Beer and independence from bland mass produced rice laced lagers. Help celebrate Craft Beer Week, May 16-22, 2011, and sign the pledge:

I declare that these are historic times for beer, with today’s beer lover having inalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of hops and malt fermented from the finest of U.S. small and independent craft brewers with more than 1,600 of them brewing today, and,

the beer I choose to enjoy is not a commodity, but more importantly an artistic creation of
living liquid history made from passionate innovators. The beer I drink furthers our culture and
teaches us geography and helps to nurture a sense of community, and helps to make the world a
better place, and,

I declare to practice the concept of “Informed Consumption,” seeking and deserving to know if my beer comes from a small and independent brewer or if it is owned by a large brewing company. I want

to know why so many of my local beer brands are not available in many of my favorite restaurants, bars and beer stores, and I encourage beer sellers to offer a wide selection of beer styles and beer brands that includes beer from my local and regional breweries, and,

I declare American craft brewers provide flavorful and diverse American-made beers in more than 100 distinct styles that have made the United States the envy of every beer-drinking nation for the quality and variety of beers brewed. I declare that beer made by American craft brewers helps to reduce dependence on imported products and therefore contributes to balanced trade, and, I declare to champion the message of responsible enjoyment of craft beer, the beverage of moderation,

as the makers of these beers produce libations of substance and soul that are sincere and authentic, and the enjoyment of them is about savoring the gastronomic qualities including flavor, aroma, body and mouthfeel, while practicing responsible appreciation.

I therefore declare to support America’s small and independent craft brewers during American Craft Beer Week, May 16-22, 2011, and beyond…